Why Debt Shouldn’t Be Scary
Did you know that there is good debt and bad debt? Good debt is debt that you incur that will increase your overall net worth, while bad debt depletes your net worth. Good debt includes mortgages, home equity loans, and student loans. Bad debt includes credit cards, and sometimes auto and personal loans. While some […]
Explaining the FAFSA
Here are some helpful tips and resources for filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) The 2023-2024 FAFSA form has been available since Friday, September 30th so if you or your child plan to attend college in 2023 you will want to fill out the FAFSA as soon as possible as some scholarships […]
Creative Ways to Pay for College
Your son or daughter received their acceptance package from college (Woo Hoo!) and the bill for school is on the way. (Argh!) Now what? How in the world do you pay for school? Here is a summary of some options to consider: Grants or Scholarships – One of the best ways to pay for […]
Why Debt Shouldn’t be Scary
Did you know that there is good debt and bad debt? Good debt is debt that you incur that will increase your overall net worth, while bad debt depletes your net worth. Good debt includes mortgages, home equity loans, and student loans. Bad debt includes credit cards, and sometimes auto and personal loans. While […]
Saving Now to Plan for Later
By Amanda L. Herrick Smith, CFP® Have the holidays ever snuck up on you and you realized your bank account just cannot sustain the impact of gift giving? Up goes the credit card balances and in comes the final squeeze of the cash flow! Year after year I continued to see this ongoing pattern […]
Buying Your First Home
Written by: Amanda L. Herrick Smith, CFP® As we go into spring and the flowers begin to bloom and we have a bit more warmth and sunshine, the housing market begins to take hold in upstate New York. Being a homeowner was something that was very important to me at a young age. I grew […]
How Might the CARES Act Apply to My Taxes? Consider These 3 Tax Planning Opportunities.
Written By: Amanda L. Herrick Smith, CFP® The CARES Act along with the recent market volatility has led to some interesting tax planning opportunities for individuals to consider this year. The following are three recommendations that may help to ease the financial impact of the pandemic. Roth Conversions – As a result […]
5 Tips for those Invested in the Stock Market during a Downturn
By Amanda Herrick Smith and Cynthia Rivera The effects of an escalating coronavirus outbreak has sparked universal anxiety in investors as the stock market took a nosedive and posted its biggest loss since the 2008 financial crisis. In light of what looks like another volatile week, many investors wonder whether to sell, do nothing or […]
